Always in the red and lurching between credit cards and overdrafts? Me too. But if you think that your money problems would be solved simply by having more money - you're wrong. According to new money bible, Money - A Love Story by Kate Northrup, it's the way we think about money - and indeed ourselves - that's the problem. If we don't fix our attitudes, we'll always be out of control with money, no matter how much we have, which is why lottery winners often end up broke within two years.
So here you go - the ten surprising reasons we're broke...
1) Your house is a mess. Yup, physical clutter stops the flow of wealth according to Feng Shui, the Eastern art and science of placing things in your home and workplace to help you attract wealth, harmony, and love. Nothing new can come into your life until you clear out your clutter.
2) You keep talking about being broke. Stop it! What you put your attention on grows according to financial expert Kate Northrup. So if you keep worrying and talking about how broke you are you're just going to attract more brokenness. If, however, you talk about how you have everything you need and repeat to yourself 'money is coming my way' you will have a more positive attitude and money opportunities will present themselves.
3) You don't like rich people? Flash cars, fancy houses, designer handbags... they're so smug and perfect. Wrong attitude! If you hate rich people then how are you ever going to be one? Instead of envying people with lots of cash, admire them and use them as inspiration.
4) Your parents! If you were brought up hearing that money doesn't grown on trees, money is the root of all evil, you're going to have an ingrained negative attitude to money that's going to play out in your life, whether you realise it or not. Kate Northrup has a good exercise in her book - she asks, 'What's your first ever money memory from childhood? Now how does that relate to your situation now?'
5) Your friends. If your friends talk about being broke and not being able to afford things, or how they didn't get a pay-rise, walk away. It's called a 'scarcity mentality' and it's catching.
6) Back to the mess. You have notes scrunched up in your pocket and coins down the back of your sofa - if you don't show respect for your money it won't show respect for you. Try lining your notes up in order of amounts and always keeping your coins together.
7) You don't check your balance everyday. If you're the kind of person who only knows what's in your bank account when your card gets declined, then you're in big trouble. You need to get real about your current situation in order to improve it. Denial will get you only further into debt. No matter how bad the situation is don't beat yourself up. Take a deep breath, think of all the things you DO have - a roof over your head, friends, a cup of tea... anything. Focus on the positive and make a plan to spend less than you make. Simple stuff but it changes everything.
8) You don't believe you deserve money. You won't ask for a payrise, you charge too little for your services, you tend to be the first to the bar and pay for friends - all can be a sign that you don't think very highly of yourself and don't think that you deserve to have money. You do.
9) You can't take a compliment. According to Money - A Love Story, - if you can't accept a nice thing that someone says to you, there's a good chance you can't accept other good things in life, like money, gifts and opportunities. Next time somehow says you look hot or offers to buy you a coffee, lap it up.
10) You're waiting for prince charming. Are you waiting or a man to come and sort your messy finances out? Well stop it. He won't. And you're big enough, smart enough and strong enough to save yourself.